The Rebound?
by No Longer Alive Hearts
Summary: When Larxene tells Namine that she's simply Marluxia's rebound from his last girlfriend, how will the smaller blond respond? Stay tuned for ridiculous ideas on crack pairings and just plain silly interactions from woman scorned.
1. Chapter 1

The Rebound?

Chapter 1: I Don't Want To Be A Rebound Girl!

Namine sat at the table in her room, humming softly as she sketched. Recently, Marluxia had allowed her to have a television in her room. She really didn't care to watch television very much, but she did often have it on for the sake of white noise. It helped her not feel quite so alone when everyone else was out of the castle.

But everyone else was not out of the castle. At least, there was one other person in the castle.

With a brief burst of static, the television crackled and turned black and silent. This made Namine jump. She looked around the room to see if someone had walked in without her noticing. "Marluxia?" she guessed, shoulders tensing. The pink-haired man always felt the need for a dramatic entrance, even if it sometimes almost resulted in Namine's impossible heart attack. He did know when to stop before Namine got too scared. "Marluxia, this isn't funny."

Suddenly, two black-gloved hands shot from behind Namine's head and covered her eyes.

Namine screamed, straining against the hands. She reached her own hands up and tugged on the offender's. "Marluxia, stop it! This isn't funny! Not after scaring me like that!"

"Sorry, kiddo, but it's not your flowery knight." The voice let out a venomous snicker. "Do you think he'd really do something like this?"

Growing still, Namine could feel her empty veins grow cold. "What's going on? Who is this?"

The laugh was much more impish this time as the hands slipped way from the young Nobody's eyes, revealing an upside-down, smiling face . "How's it going, kid?"

"Larxene?" Namine jumped in her chair slightly. Such sudden visits from the Savage Nymph were generally much more violent and boasting. Such silent intrusion from Larxene could only mean trouble."

"Sheesh, calm down, squirt." Larxene walked around the table and sat in another chair, kicking her stilettos up on the table. She grinned at Namine from between her boots' toes. "I was just wondering if you knew where Axel was."

"Axel?" Namine blinked a few times, before placing a thoughtful finger on her chin. "I think he was going to Twilight Town with Roxas and Xion."

"He's always going to Twilight Town," Larxene groaned, leaning her head over the back of her chair. "He needs to spend less time with Roxas those two and more with me."

"Well," Namine picked at her hair, "Roxas and Xion are his best friends."

"Yeah? Well, I'm his GIRLFRIEND!" Larxene lowered her legs from the table only to slam a hand down that shook the whole table. "I take precedence. He needs to whisk me off to Destiny Islands or something like that at least once a week."

Namine giggled gently. "Well, it's not like Marluxia even lets me outside of Castle Oblivion, let alone travel anywhere with him."

"I suppose that's true." Larxene paused, her antenna-like hair beginning to curl and a realizing smile spreading across her face. "You ever wonder why that is, kid?"

"I can't say that I've ever thought about it before." As best Namine could remember, The Castle That Never Was was the only other place she had ever been, aside from Castle Oblivion. She much preferred Castle Oblivion, though, as it was surrounded by lush greenery, from forests to pastures, from gardens to hedge walls. She considered this much nicer than the bleak night that made up the World That Never Was. "I guess I just don't need to go anywhere else."

"Poor Namine." Larxene clucked her tongue, smiling and shaking her head. "Poor, poor Namine. She simply doesn't have a clue." She gave Namine a reproving look. "Not a single clue at all."

"What are you talking about?" Namine raised an eyebrow. "What don't I have a clue about?"

"Not a clue at all." Larxene shook her head again, shrugging absentmindedly. "Doesn't surprise me. If I were Marluxia, I don't think I'd tell you that you were his rebound girl." She smiled mischievously. "But I'm not Marluxia, am I?"

Namine paused a moment, blinking a few times. "Rebound girl?" Certainly, Marluxia had used her to try to counter Sora at one time, and he did bind her up in rose vines about the same time, but something told her that wasn't what Larxene meant.

Speaking of the Savage Nymph, when she had heard Namine's question, she face-planted into the table, grabbing the back of her head. Raising her head up again, she pointed at Namine viciously. "Yes. Rebound girl! You know. A girl a guy uses as a cheap excuse to make up for a lost relationship!"

Namine continued to stare blankly at Larxene.

Larxene lowered her head and her voice as she inched across the table towards Namine. "Don't you get it? Marluxia doesn't care about you. He simply picked you as the first sap he could play, when things didn't turn out so well between him and his girlfriend. That's what a rebound girl is."  
Realization slapped Namine in the face as she took in Larxene's information. "What?" She laughed lightly and waved her hand in Larxene's direction. "Oh, that can't be true. Marluxia never said anything about any other girls."

"Do you think he would have told you about any other girls, even if you asked?" Larxene frowned in mock grief. "Besides, it's not like you're exactly an eye opener or anything. You're simply a Plain Jane with blond hair, if you will."

"I don't believe it." Namine crossed her arms and stood up, trying her best to stare down Larxene. "You and I both know that you're just lying to me just to make me upset, all because Axel decided not to hang out with you today."

"Believe what you want, squirt." Larxene stood up, taking the time to make great emphasis on the nearly two heads difference in their height. "Besides, I can force Axel to do whatever I want. I don't need to worry about his little friends." As she walked past Namine, she rubbed her head. "If anyone, it's you I'm worried about, kid." She clucked her tongue condescendingly as she left the room.

As soon as Larxene was gone, Namine collapsed back in her chair. "Am I a rebound girl?" She stared simply at her hands. It was true that Marluxia only recently began to treat her nicely, only ever since he was able to reform himself from the atomized state of oblivion that Sora had sent him to. It was also true that she and Marluxia didn't do much with each other. He treated her nicely and brought her gifts, but it wasn't like he took her to cafes, or the beach, or movies, or sporting events, or anything that Larxene liked to boast that she and Axel did. It wasn't even all that often that Marluxia would let her in the gardens anymore. It didn't seem like their relationship was going anywhere.

Before she resorted to letting her tears fall freely, though, Namine picked herself up off of her chair and did what she thought was most appropriate. "Marluxia." She turned her head around a few times. "Marluxia!" She swallowed hard and drew in breath as she noticed her affectionate caretaker still didn't bother to appear. "MARLUXIA!"

Okay, this story was inspired by two of my readers, Nami the Writer and kingdomhearts101.

I know that Larxene seemed rather mean in this chapter, but who knows what's true in the world of fanfiction. After all, fanfiction is simply fiction about fiction, or about as far from reality as you can get, so anything could be true.

Stay tuned as Namine tries to pump information from Marluxia to find out who his unknown girlfriend is.

Please, enjoy and review.


	2. Chapter 2

The Rebound?

Chapter 2: Things Are Getting Electric!

In a flutter of petals, Marluxia appeared near the open door. He held his head gently. "I never should have listened to that dumb phantom about lteaching a teenage girl that ridiculous chant-a-name-three-times summoning charm. The conjuring bit gives me such a headache." He paused, before pulling his hands off his eyes and turning to Namine. "No offense to you, of course, Namine. It's not like the pain is your fault."

Namine glared at Marluxia.

"Oh, come now, Namine." Marluxia turned fully to the blond girl and gestured to her with great nobility. "The scowl does not look very nice on such a young, pretty face. You know that if you want anything, that I'd be willing to provide it."

Namine folded her arms across her chest. "Do you know what a rebound girl is, Marluxia?"

"What?" Marluxia raised an eyebrow at the unanticipated question.

"A rebound girl, Marluxia. I'm sure you know what that is."

Marluxia cast his gaze over in the direction of the small television, figuring he knew the situation. "Oh, most certainly, my little lily. A rebound girl is a girl that a young man shows generous affection shortly after losing out on a previous relationship. This is believed to be a somewhat shallow attempt to recreate the same emotions that the young man had for the previous woman."

_Well, that does sound a lot nicer than how Larxene put it._ Namine tilted her head to the side, staring at Marluxia as her expression softened into a sadder one. _Still, Marluxia could at least tell me he was seeing another girl. But who was it? Who was it?_

"Oh, there, there." Marluxia gently rubbed Namine on the head. "I wasn't sure about getting you that television, but I do wonder what sort of program you were just watching." He took hold of his chin. "Maybe that Kim Possible show. I've being hearing a lot about how they've been expressing a lot about relationship problems on that show."

_That's it!_ Namine pointed up at Marluxia and shook her pointing hand. "Larxene is the one you're trying to rebound from, isn't she?"

"What?" Marluxia took a step back. "Wh-what are you talking about, Namine?"

"Larxene told me that I was your rebound girl." Namine placed her finger on her cheek. "Now, why else would she tell me, unless she was the one you were rebounding from? You both were rather chummy before Sora came around. Then Larxene wanted to spend all her time with Axel."

"Wh-what? Oh, Namine, you can be so funny at times." Marluxia shook his head, letting his hair flair out. "Why in Nothingness would I have ever dated Larxene? Certainly, we have been particularly good friends in the past, but we made it clear with each other that we weren't going to date or anything like that. Not only would it have been detrimental to our scheme to take over the organization, we have no similar interests." He coughed into his fist. "Certainly, the whole organization takeover scheme didn't work all that well, but I can assure you that there is no way that I could be standing in front of you if I ever did anything that would offend Larxene to get her to break up with me, my atoms would have been strewn all across Oblivion, and then some." He laughed lightly. "In fact, she was the one who wrote up the original contract."

"Do you like her, though?" Namine swallowed, staring up at the Graceful Assassin.

"As a friend, yes, but there is absolutely no way I could possibly be romantically inclined to her. She's far too violent for my personal taste." Marluxia smiled, laughing even more heartily. "I mean, can you possibly imagine what would happen if we got married?"

"No, not really." Namine could only feign a laugh. "Not like I ever thought about it before."

"I have to say that I've only thought of it once before, and that was more than enough." Marluxia shook his head. "Not a pretty picture. It'd start out cute, but the kids would be crazy."

"I suppose so." Namine rubbed her arm numbly. "So who was your last girlfriend?"

"What?" Marluxia blinked a few times. "Last girlfriend?"

"Yes." Namine swallowed a little harder. "Larxene told me that I was your rebound girl." She looked up at the pink-haired man with large eyes. "So who was your last girlfriend?"

"Wh-wh-what?" Marluxia flinched, feeling the sweat on his brow. "L-l-l-last girlfriend?" He coughed a few times. "Um, this is a little awkward of a conversation. You're going to have to realize that, as a Nobody, I'm not all that familiar with my past, so I don't know how to respond to that."

Namine's brow furrowed. "Marluxia?"

"Right, I'll get to you later. I was in the middle of something important, when you called, and I need to get back to it." He disappeared into vapor.

"I'm sure you do." Namine's brow pointed deeper as she tightened her arms across her chest. "I'm sure you do."

Yeah, this story is totally going to play on potential Marluxia pairings. Larxene, I thought, would be a good place to start. Certainly, it wasn't a long chapter, but I figured that Namine would find Larxene most logical, and that Marluxia would definitely get defensive from the get go.

Anyways, things can only get weirder from here on.

Please, enjoy and review.


	3. Chapter 3

The Rebound?

Chapter 3: Which Side Are We Playing On?

The door to Namine's swung open as Marluxia walked through, smiling as he carried a large silver tray. "Good morning, Namine. It's time for breakfast."

That was another nice advantage to Castle Oblivion over the Castle That Never Was. It was very easy to tell what time of day it was, as there was a sun that traveled across the sky, as opposed to the dreary clouds that swirled through the sky in the World That Never Was eternally, never revealing whether it was day or night, or even if there was a sun. Simply that moon that Xemnas always referred to as Kingdom Hearts.

Namine, though, wasn't sleeping. She was sitting up in her bed, her head bowed in concentration. "Morning?"

"Oh, Namine." Marluxia blinked a couple of times, before he walked over to the pristine bed. "What's wrong? Are you feeling ill?" He placed a hand on the smaller Nobody's forehead. "You do feel a little feverish."

"No. I'm not sick." Namine raised her head a little higher to look at Marluxia. "It's Xion, isn't it?"

"Xion?" Marluxia's eyes widened a bit. "What did Xion do?"

"You were dating Xion before me, weren't you?"

"What?" Marluxia jumped slightly, moving his hands quickly to catch all the food in a perfect formation. "What are you talking about me dating Xion?"

"Well, she's really the only other female member of Organization XIII." Namine swallowed lightly, tears brimming her eyes. "You don't have to lie to me, Marluxia. It doesn't bother me, if you were dating Xion before me." She forced a giggle as she ran her fingers through some of her hair. "I'm guessing you probably prefer blonds, anyway."

"Well, I can't really guarantee that I prefer one hair color over another." Marluxia laid the tray on Namine's lap and sat down at the other end of the bed. "However, did you really take the time to think about that, aside from the fact that she's a girl?"

Namine cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, first off, Xion was designed to be with Roxas. Vexen was the one who made her, even." Marluxia crossed his arms and nodded to himself. "Do you really think I'd ever date one of Vexen's science projects?"

"Maybe not." Namine scratched her cheek. "And I guess she does spend a lot of time with Roxas."

"Exactly." Marluxia laughed. "I mean, Vexen and I might sometimes come together to make plans and to discuss chore charts, but we couldn't stand each other worth anything." He shuddered. "Besides, it'd be so weird to think of him as my father-in-law."

Namine laughed honestly. "No kidding. That would be weird."

"Not as weird for you as it would be for me." Marluxia rubbed Namine on the head. "So I better not hear that you're seeing that Riku Replica."

Namine blushed and shook her head. "Oh no, Marluxia. How often do I leave this room?"

"That's what I wanted to hear." Marluxia stood up and waved back at Namine as he walked back to the door. "Enjoy breakfast."

"I will." Namine smiled as Marluxia left. As she turned to her her breakfast, though, she realized she had forgotten something. "Marluxia! You're the one who was dating someone else!"

Meanwhile, on the other end of Castle Oblivion, Xion bolted upright in her bed. She shuddered as she looked around her room, cold sweat on her face, her breathing heavy.

"What on earth, sis?" Riku Replica looked down from his upper bunk bed to the clock on the nightstand. "It's not even eleven, yet. Could you keep it down?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Sorry." Xion wiped her forehead. "I just had the strange feeling that someone thought I was dating Marluxia."

"Wow. That is kind of weird." Riku Replica gave a similar shudder. "I have no idea what Namine sees in him."

Vexen strolled into the room of the two science experiments. "Ah, you two are actually awake before noon. I'm glad that Roxas and Axel haven't rubbed off on you that horribly."  
"We're only awake because Xion had some weird dream about Marluxia." Riku Replica curled back up in his sheets. "You can leave me alone."

Vexen's eyes grew bloodshot as he turned to Xion. "What would dreams were you having about that pink-haired freak!"

Xion held her hands up defensively. "Dad, trust me, Double R made it sound much worse than it was."

Okay, one note before I end this chapter. I do not do homosexual pairings. It's not that I'm a homophobe, I just don't approve of it. So I don't want to hear suggestions like Vexen or Zexion or Axel. I think you get the drift.

Anyways, I'm hoping your enjoying the story.

Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

The Rebound?

Chapter 4: Getting to the Heart of Things

Marluxia laughed as he opened the door to Namine's room. "Say, Namine, I was just wondering if you would like to take a walk around the gardens. You see, you seem to be a bit tense, and I figured-" He stopped as he came eye to eye with the young blond.

Namine's arms were crossed as she hung upside-down from the ceiling. She tapped her foot gently as she glared Marluxia in the eye. "It's Kairi, right?"

"What? Wait! Who? What?" Marluxia's arms flailed around as he gestured in every which way direction. After a few moments, he froze and glared at Namine. He pointed as her and fumed lightly. "How in Nothingness are you doing that?"

"Easy." Namine flipped her hair, before pointing to her feet. "You'd be amazed what you can do with gluesticks."

"But that still doesn't explain how you got on the ceiling to begin wi-" Marluxia palmed his face. "You know what? Never mind. I don't think I even want to know." He let go of his face and sighed. "Now, what is Kairi, again?"

"She was the girl you were dating before me, right?" Namine slipped out of her sandals and landed nimbly on the floor. "It only makes sense, right? She has been around longer than I have."  
"Namine, do you have any idea what the implications of that would be?" Marluxia held his hands up defensively. "I mean, even though she's been around longer, how much younger do you think I'd date than you? Twelve? Seriously?"

"Kairi was a little older than that before I came to be." Namine blushed lightly. "She was."

"I suppose so." Marluxia shook his head. "But why would I have dated Kairi? She's Sora's girl. I mean, sure, I was willing to kidnap Sora to become my ultimate warrior, but I never got around to kidnapping Axel. That was Axel's gig."

"So are you saying you would have dated her?" Namine spun her fingers through her hair. "Was it only because Axel got to her first."

"Now, hold on, Axel was in on a hostage situation to try to trade for Roxas." Marluxia spun his hand in the air. "Just think about it, if I dated Kairi, and then you, it'd be like dating sisters."

"And your point is?" Namine raised an eyebrow. "It wouldn't be the first case."

"Look, real cute, but I'm telling you I didn't date Kairi!" Marluxia crossed his arms. He tried to look stern, but he swallowed, instead. He knelt down and placed a hand on Namine's shoulder. "Besides, you're so much cuter than Kairi ever was."

"Really?Are you sure?" Namine placed a hand on Marluxia's shoulder in turn.

"Of course I am." Marluxia kissed Namine on the cheek and stood up. "Now just calm down about this whole thing." He stood up and walked towards the door. "I'll come back and get you in a few minutes. Just try to calm down a bit."

"Okay." Namine took a deep breath as Marluxia left. Her pulse immediately shot up as the door closed, though.

Larxene stepped away from the wall that the door had hidden while it was open. She clasped her hands together as she walked forward. "Oh my, isn't that sweet? A walk through the gardens?" She laughed. "Just like every other one of your dates."

"Larxene?" Namine swallowed lightly. "What are you here for?"

"While just checking up on a fellow blond?" Larxene rubbed her hand through the younger girl's hair. "Now tell me, does that make me a bad person."

"No." Namine pushed the hand away and walked towards a chair. She slumped into her seat and folded her arms. "But I'm not sure if I can trust you about this rebound girl business."

"What do you mean?" Larxene sped over beside Namine, resting her elbows on the table as she grinned at the white-clad Nobody. "Did you find out who Marluxia's secret girl is?"

"That's just it. He hasn't agreed to dating any other girls." Namine sighed. "Are you sure you're not just leading me on?"

Larxene held up a correcting finger. "Ah, but why did he only kiss you on the cheek? Why not the lips?"

"Well..." Namine placed a thoughtful finger on her cheek. "I suppose that is a good point."

"And did he ever say he never dated another girl?" Larxene's grin widened. "Did he?"

"I guess not." Namine wove her fingers together as she placed her chin on her hands. "Oh, Larxene, what am I going to do? Marluxia said he hadn't been dating you, Xion, or Kairi."

"Good grief, you've been stuck in this castle too long." Larxene rolled onto her back. "You're thinking too small. We've all had lives outside of this castle, after all."

"You're right." Namine's eyes widened. "There are so many girls I don't know."

"Then let me clue you in." Larxene rolled over beside Namine and began whispering in her ear.

Well, well, suspense is it?

Who could Marluxia possibly have dated? The obvious choices weren't right. I guess you'll just have to sty tuned.

Please, enjoy and review.


	5. Chapter 5

The Rebound?

Chapter 5: The Meaning of Flowers

Marluxia led the way down the garden path, Namine in tow only a few steps behind. He pointed out the various flowers and vines and other vegetation, though at this time, it was getting to feel a little repetitive to Namine.

Now, Namine really wondered why she was feeling so dismissive of Marluxia's garden. The many colors of the flowers had always caught her attention so strikingly well before, and just the idea that Marluxia was able to keep up with a conservatory that held so many trees was a marvel in itself. Even the enhanced sunlight from the greenhouse effect of the dome made things feel so much brighter to her. There was just something nagging at the back of her mind.

"Namine."  
The young Nobody's head snapped towards Marluxia. He was gesturing for her to come over, and it was instinctive for her to comply.

"Now, Namine, I don't believe you'll remember these." Marluxia smiled nonchalantly, rubbing his nails against his coat. "I just planted them recently, and I'm not going to lie. It was rather difficult to breed such a thriving specimen.

Namine looked at the pink flowers. They were very fetching with their long stems and well pruned leaves. The tint of them had a very warm, inviting, homey feel to them, almost like what one would anticipate to find in a maternity gift bouquet or an mother's day basket. They didn't look like something just bred to be enjoyed by a fifteen-year-old girl, though.

"Aren't they just beautiful?" Marluxia clasped his hands together, gushing over the plant. "You know, the hardest part was getting just the right color for it. For some reason, this sort of pink seemed to lack the genetics for surviving very long, so I'm glad I was able to breed it with a plant that had much more sufficient roots."

Dropping her head slightly, letting her bangs hang over her eyes, Namine smiled softly. "I bet Aerith would have loved them."

"Aerith?" Marluxia pulled out a small book and pencil and opened it up. "Let's see, was that one of Kairi's school friends that you would know, having been conjoined with her?" He flipped through several pages, examining the various writings. "No. Doesn't seem as though she came from the Destiny Islands." He closed the book, looking puzzled. "Who is Aerith?"

"I think you know." Namine rubbed her arm casually. "How far does that book go?"

"Do I?" Marluxia flipped his book open and ran his finger down the table of contents. "Let's see. The Organization. Heartless. Sora and his Friends. Cloud and his Friends." Marluxia cocked his head to one side. "Ah! Here we are." He studied the page for a moment. "Well, it does seem as though she enjoys the color pink and flowers." He slammed the book shut and pocketed it. He looked down questioningly at Namine. "What makes you bring her up, though?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Namine looked back up at Marluxia. "Wasn't she the one you were dating before me?"

Marluxia stepped back a bit. "What?" He pulled the book back out and held it in front of Namine. "Look, I might have archived the persons and places from Sora's memories, but I can honestly say that I have never met this Aerith person."

"Are you sure?" Namine raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips.

"Namine," Marluxia shook his head as he walked away from the flower plant and towards a bush, "Namine, Namine. The puce orchid might seem like a bit of a stretch, but that's the fun in being a botanist." He picked a white rose off of the bush. "However, I must say that not many would appreciate the color, despite the effort." He threw the rose at Namine, stem first.

A gasp escaped Namine's lips as the rose neatly tucked itself in her hair. She lifted her hand up and smiled as she felt the snow-white, velvety petals.

"Look, Namine," Marluxia shook his head, "Don't get worried about Aerith or anyone else. Okay?" He rubbed Namine gently on the head and smiled. "Now, go back to your room. I'll see you soon. I just need to tend to some of the needy plants real quick."

"Okay." Namine turned around and walked towards the conservatory doors. As she felt the rose, though, there was just one thought that crossed her mind. _He still didn't say that there wasn't another girl._

Okay, truth be told, I probably won't be continuing this for more than three or four more chapters. I really don't want to get ridiculous with this story. And continuing it too long would probably lead to simply making things annoying, and I don't want that to happen to you guys.

Oh well. Please enjoy and review.


	6. Chapter 6

The Rebound?

Chapter 6: This is Getting to be a Real...

Namine jumped up from her chair. "What about Paine!"

"What?" Marluxia jumped back through the door as soon as he had entered.

"Paine." Namine nodded to herself confidently. "She has definitely got to be the girl you dated before me."

Marluxia massaged the sides of his head. "Do I even want to know who Paine is?"

"I think you know full well who Paine is." Namine crossed her arms and pouted. "Come on, Marluxia. I just want you to tell me. Did you ever date Paine or not?"

"Let's see... Paine... Paine." Marluxia snapped his fingers beside his head. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

"You know! Paine!" Namine started posing uncharacteristically. "Tall, sultry, dresses in a pretty black outfit, silver hair, has a sword bigger than Lexaeus's tomahawk."

"Oh... Paine!" Marluxia pointed at Namine, smiling. His smile soon disappeared, and his hand dropped. "Oh... Paine." He cringed slightly, swallowing. "And why do you think I dated her?"

"Well, maybe you're not into girls like Aerith, all sweet and charming and gentle." Namine curled her hands into fists. "But maybe you like girls who can really fight, really kick butt, really know how to defend themselves."

"Ri-ight." Marluxia chuckled nervously. "Tell me, Namine, are you imagining both Paine and Aerith in your head right now?"

"Yeah." Namine cocked her head, looking at Marluxia as though that were a stupid question. "Who else would I be thinking of."

"Good, good." Marluxia gestured thematically. "Now, tell me, who does Paine remind you of?"

"Paine?" Namine tapped her chin with her finger. "Well, now that you mention it, she makes me think of Larxene."

"And what did I say about Larxene?" Marluxia prompted.

"That you wouldn't dream about dating her." Namine raised a knowing finger. "But maybe it's due to the fact that you dated Paine previously, her violent attitude turned you off. However, she might have sensed this and decided to beat you to the punch, dumping you first. Then you decided to date me as the rebound." She looked Marluxia squarely in the eye. "Right?"

"Maybe." Marluxia forced a grin. "But who would you say you're more like, Aerith or Paine?"

"Uh..." Namine placed her hands on her hips and bit her lip. She tpped her foot, her eyes switching from place to place throughout the whole room. "I guess I'd have to say Aerith."

"Right." Marluxia grinned.

"But what if-"

Marluxia had zipped over to Namine, covering her mouth with his gloved hand. "Namine, I can tell you for sure that I did not date Paine." His eye twitched. "Do I make myself clear?"

Namine nodded in her muted state.

"Good." Marluxi stood up, massaging his temples with both hands. "Oh, Namine... Namine, just what am I going to do with you?"

"Why don't we go out sometime?" Namine smiled. "I mean, if I could ju-"

"Done!" Marluxia took hold of Namine's hand and began to lead her to the door. A black portal appeared between them and the door. "You know, a walk around the park would be nice. I'm certain the fresh air would do us both wonders."

Having been thinking to herself, Namine covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm sure I was close this time. I really seem to be striking a nerve with Marluxia."

"What was that?" Marluxia asked briskly.

"Oh, I was just talking about how close we must be getting." Namine smiled. "We're actually striking our way out of the castle."

"Huh. I suppose you're right." Marluxia's smile broadened as he patted Namine on the head. "I very much suppose so."

Oh, my, things will be drawing to a close fast. If I don't end this soon, I think Marluxia might just be tempted to.

Tip to writers: characters might to fun to pick on and make fun of, because they're only fictitious beings who can't hurt you. However, don't pick on them too much. It's just plain rude.

Please, enjoy and review.


	7. Chapter 7

The Rebound?

Chapter 7: We're Not Playing This Game Anymore

Marluxia sighed gently as he walked along the path in the park. "My, isn't this just wonderful?"

"Yes." Namine took a deep breath. "It certainly is. The sun just feels so wonderful."

"I really should let you outside more often." Marluxia smiled. He gave a sidelong glance down at Namine. "Tell me, do you often get bored up in your room. I never really assumed either way, seeing how you don't really complain anymore."

"That's because you're not forcing me to turn people's brains into mush anymore." Namine paused. She looked up at Marluxia quickly. "Um... Marluxia." She blushed lightly. "Do you still think that I'm a... witch?"

"A witch?" Marluxia took hold of his chin and pursed his lips. "A... witch?" He looked up at the darkening sky. "Now, isn't that just a curious question. Seeing how your powers are rather muted these days, it's tough to really tell. I mean, no magic means you're not a witch."

"So I'm not a witch?" Namine smiled.

"Oh wait!" Marluxia snapped his fingers. "Now that I think about it, you still have one spell up those missing sleeves of yours."

"What?" Namine's smile dropped.

"The spell you have over me." Marluxia placed his hand on Namine's head and ran his fingers through her hair. "You're my little witch."

"Oh." Namine giggled softly. "You had me worried there, for a moment, Marluxia."

"Namine, as long as I'm around, you'll have nothing to worry about." Marluxia chuckled, too. "Just keep calm. I might have been cruel in the past, but I know how to look over you."

"I guess so." Namine turned her head away slightly. "But there's still something that worries me."

Marluxia flinched.

"Just tell me," Namine turned back around and stared Marluxia straight in the eye, "where did you get your nickname."  
"Huh?" Marluxia blinked down at the young blond.

"Your nickname." Namine looked up at the lush branches as they walked under a tree. "You know, the Graceful Assassin."

"Oh, that." Marluxia scratched the back of his head nervously. "Is that all?" He paused, freezing the motion of his hand. "Let's see... it's really sort of simple when you think about it. Graceful should be obvious."

"Yeah, it is." Namine gave a small pirouette. "You always keep reminding me about that." She stopped on her toe and placed her hands on her hips. "But what about Assassin? It's really a curious choice of name."

"Well, the assassin part is simple, too." The pink-haired man popped his fist into a horizontal hand. "It's just something that is supposed to sound intimidating. It really gives the image of blasting through an enemy will one swift attack. Something more stylistic to fight as than just Saix's berserker and more precise than Axel Flurry of Flames."

"Oh! Really?" Namine skipped ahead a few paces. "I just thought it had something to do with your previous girlfriend."

"Previous girlfriend!" Marluxia grabbed his hair and pulled on it. "Oh come on! Who do you think I was dating now?"

"Yuffie!" Namine held up a scolding finger. "Really, now that I think about it, it really should have been obvious from the start. But I guess you do like your mind games, Marluxia."

"Yuffie!" Marluxia threw his hands in the air. "Okay, before I even say anything, can I just make sure we're talking about one of Cloud's friends?"

"Yeah, that's who I'm talking about." Namine's expression grew serious. "So you admit you know her!"

"Yes. Yes, I do know Yuffie." Marluxia fished out his notebook again. "Honestly, though, I have notes on everyone Sora has met. Is it really that much of a s-"

"Surprise!"

Marluxia jumped by Namine's side and whirled around. Hanging from her feet, a young woman with an obnoxiously wide smile and short, black hair. She waved at the two on the ground.

The Graceful Assassin slapped himself in the side of his face. "Oh, don't tell me."

"Yeah. It's me. Yuffie!" The girl pointed at Marluxia and Namine. "So, you guys friends of Sora and Cloud? I heard you talking about them and me."

"Oh, forget it!" Marluxia grabbed Namine by the wrist, whirled around, and sped off down the path.

Namine's brow furrowed. Wow, she must have dumped him hard.

I really don't think I'm going to do more than one girl after Yuffie. I just thought it'd be all but the last straw to throw her in there. Especially with her making a guest appearance.

I'd have to say that this story had a better run than I anticipated, so I do hope it ends well.

Please, enjoy and review.


	8. Chapter 8

The Rebound?

Chapter 8: It's All or Bust

Marluxia held his chest, panting heavily as he stood against Namine's door. "Oh, good grief. What in Nothingness is going on? I'm just a simple botanist who is dating a fifteen-year-old and is in charge of a magic castle. I shouldn't have to put up with this."  
"Put up with what, Marluxia?" Namine sat calmly in a chair that had been moved to sit right in front of the pink-haired man.

"This! Just this." Marluxia waved his hand around. "I mean, it's not like I'm asking to rule the world. At any time, I only wanted to take over the organization because I thought Xemnas was being a total idiot. Now, I just want to be left at peace in this castle, just living my life in a nice, old-fashioned way." He looked down at Namine. "I really did not intend to ever have to think about too much that takes place outside of this castle."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Marluxia." Namine folded her hands in her lap and crossed her legs. "I never intended to get you this flustered."

"I know. I know." Marluxia held up a reassuring hand. "I'm just a little tired." He slumped down to the floor, groaning gently. "Just... tired."  
"I suppose so." Namine bit her lip as she looked down at the slouched Graceful Assassin. "I didn't mean any of this, Marluxia." She bowed her head, blushing. "I bet Tifa probably would have never made you feel like this."

"Tifa?" Marluxia raised his eyebrow for a moment, soon palming his face with both hands. "Oh no..."

"So was she your previous girlfriend?" Namine stiffened. "She really would have mad ea better girlfriend than I seem to be." She subconsciously placed a hand on her chest.

"NO!" Marluxia lunged forward and grabbed the slight girl by the shoulders. "No, I did not date Tifa! I never dated Yuffie, Paine, or Aerith. Don't you get it! I've never dated anyone before you!"

"Huh?" Namine's eyes grew wide as she looked at her guardian. "I don't understand."

"Namine, you couldn't possibly be my rebound girl or anything of the like. You're just my girlfriend." Marluxia bowed his head down into Namine's chest. "I'm just so embarrassed."

"Embarrassed?" Namine blushed heavily. "Uh..."

"Look at me, Namine. Look at me." Marluxia laughed nervously. "I was like, what, twenty-four, when I died. Then there was living as a Nobody for several years, knew you for a year, was killed again by Sora, reformed, spent who knows how much time trying to earn your trust again, and I never... never went on a single date, let alone had an actual girlfriend, before you."

"What?"

"Namine, It's just embarrassing for me to admit it." Marluxia looked up in Namine's eyes. "Guys usually have dated a girl by the time they're twenty, let alone older than twenty, died a pair of times, and reformed just as many times." A slight grin appeared on his face. "I'm sorry. It's a pride thing."

The young female Nobody blinked a few times at Marluxia. After a moment, she began to giggle, running her fingers through the pink hair. "Oh, Marluxia. I don't care. We have a relationship now. All I wanted was for you to be honest. You could have dated a hundred girls, and-" Her eyes grew wide as she found herself caught in a liplock.

Finally releasing the young girl, Marluxia sighed. "I'm sorry, but I just couldn't get you to shut up any other way." His eyes began fluttering. "If you want to talk about it anymore, give some time to sleep it off first. I'm just so-" He fell backwards on the floor.

"Oh, Marluxia." Namine smiled. "It's nice to know that I was your only girlfriend, but it does feel a little odd to think I was your first kiss." Her cheeks grew red as she laced her fingers together. "To be completely honest, though, I might have actually felt better if you had dated at least one other girl before."

Snoring loudly, Marluxia simply remained in his sprawled position.

Giggling warmly, Namine snapped her fingers. A while portal appeared under the man, and he slipped slowly into the glowing hole. "Good night, Marluxia. Sweet dreams."

Last girl, but one more chapter.

What a shocking revelation, though! Okay, not for me, because I knew the answer the whole time. However, I'm sure everyone's either shocked, appalled, or laughing their head off at this point.

Catch ya next chapter. Please, enjoy and review.


	9. Chapter 9

The Rebound?

Chapter 9: One Last Girl to Deal With

Larxene raised her eyebrow as she heard a knock on her door. She stood up from her reading chair, walked over ti the door and swung it open. "What do you wa- Oh, Namine." She blinked down at the smaller blond. With a sly grin, she leaned against the doorframe. "Well, someone's decked out, aren't they?"

Namine nodded shyly, picking at a lock of her hair. "Marluxia and I are going out to dinner later."

Really?" Larxene placed he magazine-holding hand on her waist and gestured towards Namine with the other. "My, my, isn't that special?"

"Yeah." Namine's expression became stern. "However, there's something I really need to talk to you about."

"If it's about Marluxia, I certainly never dated him, you can count on that." Larxene chuckled to herself. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Marluxia never had a girlfriend before me!" Namine stomped one of her feet hard on the floor. "Why would you lie to me about that?"

"Why not?" Larxene's smile grew. "It humors me, and it always serves more than one purpose." She winked at Namine. "It's really not that big of a deal. You can always thank me later."

"What?" Namine stepped back a pace, eyes wide. "Why would I thank you for lying to me?"

"Simple." Larxene placed a hand on the younger blond's head and rubbed it through the made up hair. "Just look at youself."

Namine pushed the hand away from her. "You're not making a whole lot of sense, Larxene. I know you can be mean, but this really is getting to be just too confusing."

"You really can figure it out?" Larxene feigned hurt and confusion, placing her hand on her chest dramatically. "Why, is it my fault that Marluxia might have never taken you out before?"

Namine raised a curious eyebrow.

"It's sad, really." Larxene threw the magazine behind her and threw the other hand in the air as well. "Why, Marluxia is such a wallflower, that he really doesn't know how to act around girls too well. He might never had grown the heart and guts to even take his young girlfriend out every once in a while, had I not taken the time out of my day to intervene."

Namine paused as she took in the new information. She pointed up at Larxene. "Wait, so does that mean that-"

"I lied, yes, but it was for the good of all." Larxene nodded smartly. "At least, for the good of you and Marluxia. Where you going tonight?"

"But Larxene!" Namine stared up at the older blond like crazy. "I thought you had lied to me because you were jealous of how much more attention Marluxia paid to me than Axel did to you."

"Oh, that!" Larxene laughed loudly. "Please, I have Axel eating out of my hands. Sure, I let him spend the days with his buddies, but the evenings are mine!"

"Really!" Namine placed a thoughtful finger on her cheek. "I suppose that would make more sense."

"I'm still waiting for Axel to propose, but I don't want to push him into it." Larxene clapped her hands together, giggling. "Still have to keep it somewhat romantic." She poked Namine in the chest. "So, where are you going?"

"Um, well." Namine scratched the side of her head. "We were thinking of going to Olive Garden. Marluxia loves their salads."

"Oh, and they're pasta is absolutely delicious." Larxene smiled. "Just give me a few minutes. Axel and I will be with you soon, 'kay?" She slammed the door in Namine's face.

"O-okay." Namine laughed nervously. "This is really awkward."

End of story, but it was fun. Still so many stories to write, though. Hope to catch you all around as I continue my efforts.

Please, enjoy and review.


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